Eluding Emotion

Stones

     The drive to work was pleasant. Maybe it’s because all Lehi and I did was talk. He told me about his job hunting and how he was glad he bumped in to Scarlet and told him about our opening. Then he kept on babbling out me changing or adding new songs from iTunes because everything I listen to whenever he’s with me is so classical and he might fall asleep while driving. So what I did next made him shut up—I turned the volume up and we listened to Girl’s Generation’s “I Got a Boy”.

“K-Pop, really?” he chuckled.

“What? It won’t kill me for listening to K-Pop. It’s catchy, I researched the meaning of course, I don’t wanna sing to something that has an awful meaning.” I smiled.

“Well, that’s smart. Speaking of K-Pop, are you in any way Korean?” he asked.

“No. Why would you say that?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Nothing, it’s just that the first time I saw you, I thought you were or maybe half. It’s the way your eyes look—which makes it look more piercing.”

“Well, for one thing, my mother looked more Korean than I do. She never met her father or any relative of her father so we don’t know anything about him. He could be Korean or whatever. But on my grandmother’s side, she has Chinese and Spanish blood from her ancestors.”

“Wow, that’s something. How about your dad?” he asked.

“I think you already know what my father looks like.”

“Really, how?”

“My father’s Travian Snow.”

“Travian Snow? Professor Snow is your father? The guy who looks like Sean Ben, you’re father is absolutely handsome and kind. He’s funny too; no wonder where your sense of humor came from.”

“Yep, he’s a very funny guy. That’s why his wife fell in love with him easily.”

“Yeah... Hey, sorry for your loss. I heard he died because he was heartbroken because his wife died—heart attack. He must’ve really loved your mom.”

“His late wife was not my mother.” I sighed.

“Oh? So your real parents were separated?”

“You can say that.” The pain of my mom’s death was coming back to me but I have to brush it off—I don’t want to snap at Lehi.

“So where’s your mom? Did she remarry?” he asked out of curiosity.

“No. She committed suicide after my father left her for Marie—his late wife.”

“Shoot. I’m sorry Olivia, I didn’t mean to pry.” He looked at me with concerned eyes.

“No, it’s okay. Its better you know. That’s actually the main reason why I don’t believe in emotions and falling in love for me is stupid. My mother was so in love with the idea that they’re madly in love. They’ve been together for I don’t know how long. She always told me about my father rescuing her from her family who were so bad to her. She was wonderful and caring and loving. This vine bracelet was hers. She’s naturally sweet all the time—no wonder she was given the rose quartz. My world was so perfect with them by my side. Then my father grew distant and my mother’s world shattered when he told us about her. We were devastated; he left on the eve of my 21st birthday. Then the night after my birthday party, she killed herself. That’s what I’ve been dreaming of every night when I sleep.”

“Hey,” he wiped the tear than fell down my cheeks. “It’s okay, you know, thank you for telling me. Now I understand why you hate the idea of emotions and why you’re scared of falling in love. Let me tell you this, even if that happened to your parents, it doesn’t mean that it’ll happen to you too. You’ll see—you’ll find someone who’ll prove that to you.”